Four-cylinder internal-combustion engine.



0. LE PERSONNE. roun CYLINDER INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED MN- 26' 19M.

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@WwMW 0. LEPERSONNE. FOUR CYLINDER INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 261 W14.

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FOUR-CYLINDER INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. d, M017.

Application filed January 26, 1914. Serial No. 814,468.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, OCTAVE LEPERsoNNn, subject of the King of Belgiunnresiding at Amermont, Stavelot, Belgium, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Four-Cylinder Internal-Co1nbustion Engines, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention, which relates to a system of valve gear consisting of cylindrical slide valve and concentric closing sleeve, applicable to internal combustion engines working on a four-stroke cycle, adapted for four cylinders, is represented in the annexed drawings by two examples. In the first, represented by Figures 1, 2, 3, and 4, the slide valve, besides its function of inlet valve, acts as a collector of the exhaust gases, while in the second, represented by Fig. 5, the slide-valve only fulfils the function of distributer.

Fig. 1 represents a longitudinal section of the engine through the center line of the valve;

Fig. 2 represents a vertical section through the center line of one of the cylinders;

Fig. 3 represents a vertical section through the center line of the gas mixture inlet P p Fig. 4 represents a vertical section through the exhaust outlet;

Fig. 5 represents a section, analogous to that of Fig. 1, of the second form;

Fig. 6 is a diagram.

The arrangement of the valve in relation to the cylinders'may be varied.

The slide-valve and sleeve are given an alternating rectilinear movement by an appropriate mechanism so that each of them makes one complete stroke forward and return while one of the motor pistons oompletes two strokes, that is to say, during a complete cycle.

The sleeve alone in contact with the walls of the valve chamber common to the various cylinders, serves to insure tightness during the period of compression and expansion, either by simple adjustment or by means of flexible piston rings. It fulfils the function of closing the ports while the piston valve serves as distributer and inlet valve.

The working of this system of valve gear is based on the following considerations In the case under consideration the order of ignition is adjusted in accordance with the usual practice 1--342, the figures corresponding to the numbering of the cyllnders. The letters A, C, D, E, signify re- A study of this table shows that the phases of admission and exhaust always coincide for two cylinders, say

The valve gear can therefore be treated as if each of these groups EA only represented one single period.

If the valve gear be driven by connecting rod and eccentric, this latter turning at half the speed of the motor-shaft, Fig. 6 represents the circle of eccentricity; this is described by the eccentric radius once each complete cycle.-

A study of Fig. 6 shows that the sleeve will have to uncover the port of one of the cylinders while the eccentric radius is describing the semi-cirele cry or yen, in the case where no account is taken of the leads or laps at the beginning or at the end of the period of exhaust and admission; the closure will be produced while the radius is describing the other semi-circle.

Gr if, in the case of the first cylinder,

the port is open during may and closed during 3 21), the sleeve fulfils the opposite functions, that is to say, opening during yen and closing during may for the fourth cylinder.

For cylinders 2 and 3 the radius of the cocentric controlling the sleeve, will have to be set over at an angle of 90 with the first; similarly the angle of advance of the sleeve as compared with the corresponding piston valve will be one of 90 or thereabout.

A study of the mode of working of the valve gear shows moreover that, owing to a relative displacement of the driving eccentrics of 90 or thereabout, the opening and the closing of the ports takes place always at or about the moment when that part of. the gear which controls the time traveling at its greatest speed.

In short the sleeve constituting the closing part uncovers the port of the cylinder during the whole period of the exhaust and the admission, either the one half the cycle when the piston slide valve brings the exhaust and admission openings successively opposite the uncovered port, and recloses the port of the cylinder during the period of compression and expansion, or during the other half of the cycle, the valve gear being arranged in such a way that the port of the sleeve is about at its greatest distance from that of the cylinder at the moment of the explosion.

In the first example each cylinder has an inlet port a; which can conveniently be arranged in such away as to entirely surround the valve gear, so that the pressures are balanced on the latter. The front parts and rear parts 6 and 0 respectively of the closing sleeve'have each an opening whereas the central part clhas eight. The front part of the sleeve cl acting as inlet valve has an extension c, putting the. cyllnder 1, during the period of exhaust, in communication with the exhaust gas chambers 7", formed by the valve piston hi, the rear part of the sleeve cl is closed by a Wall The valve chamber, besides'the four cylinder ports, is provided with three other ports; is serving to conduct the gas mixture to the intermediate cylinders through the ports 1, 2, and 3 of the central sleeve d, and Z and m distributing the gases respectively to the end cylinders through the ports 4: and 5 of the forward and rear sleeves and 6 and 7' respectively, as well as 8 and 9 of the piston valve. The escape of the exhaust gases takes place into the piston valve, which acts as collector for the three first cylinders; the fourth cylinder exhausts directly through the outlet 91- (Fig. 4:) when the wall i is brought toward the front of the engine, in such a manner that the corresponding ports of the sleeve, and of the cylinder, are uncovered, and the communication with port. m is broken.

In the second example the working is analogous to that described above, except that the exhaust takes place directly through I the ports a of the cylinders and the passages b, a, and (Z, while the admission takes place through c and 7 and the ports a of the cylinders;

The preceding description sh ws that this system of valve gear allowsof the constructionof a multi-cylinder internal combustion engine, in which all the gear parts are worked by governor control. This system of valve gear moreover in multi-cylindcr engines allows of a regulation of the valves which is strictly identical for the various cylinders. It is easy to obtain very large openings for the passage of the gases so as to reduce the delay in closing ports to a minimum and to secure a full charge to the cylinders. The valve gear parts may easily be driven from the outside of the engine, the result of which is a high degree of accessibi lity of the various parts. The lubrication of the slides is facilitated by the fact that they are placed out-side the cylinders, cooled outside by water and inside by the fresh gases passing to the cylinders. The exhaust gases may be discharged through the center of the piston valve. In this case therefore they are removed as far as possible from the walls of the closing sleeve. Moreover the fresh gases sweeping the exhaust chamber cool the latter, while they themselves are heated; thus a perfect vapori'lzation of the fuelisobtained if the latter is used in the liquid state, and a good mixing of the gases. By its very construction this engine can have the piping. cast solid with the cylinders, for the piston valve may serve as collector of the exhaust, and it is very easy to cast in one piece, with the cylinders, that portion of the pipingconnecting the passages it", Z and m (Fig. 1), or the piping connecting the passages Z), 0, (Z and e, 7'. (Fig. 5.)

Having fully described my invention what I desire to claim and secure by Letters Patent is l. A valve mechanism for a four-cylinder internal combustion engine of the four cycle type, comprisinga tubular casing provided with ports which serve for both admission and exhaust to one of the engine cylinders, a tubular valve arranged to slide axially within said casing and cooperating directly with the ports of two of the cylinders, a second tubular valve directly controlling the ports of the other two cylinders and arranged concentric with the other said valve, and adapted to slide axially relative thereto, to control the connection of ports in said casing with the supply and exhaust conduits of the engine through ports in the first said valve, and means for effecting proper motion of said valves.

2. A valve mechanism for four-cylinder internal combustion engines of the fourcycle type comprising a tubular slide arranged above the engine cylinders and having adjacent one end an interior section 0, a second tubula slide having its body extending through the first slide and the sec tion 6 thereof and having at its ends exterior concentric sections surrounding the adjacent portions of the first slide, suitable ports being formed in the two slides whereby a single port in one slide is adapted to serve as both inlet and exhaust port for one of the engine cylinders and the connection of said port with the supply and the exhaust passages of the engine is controlled by the other slide, and means for actuating the slides.

3. The combination With a four-cylinder internal combustion engine of the four cycle type, of a cylindrical slide having portions adapted to open and close the ports of the outside cylinders of the engine, and a second slide arranged concentric With that aforesaid and adapted to control the opening and closing of the ports of the intermediate cylinders of the engine, said slides being movable relative to the engine and to 10 each other.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of tWo subscribing Witnesses.

OCTAVE LEPERSONNE. Witnesses:

VICTOR HAMAL, GASTON STEIN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of E'atenta. Washington, D. C. 

